UK adolescents get two-thirds of daily calories from UPFs, says survey

Concerns over ultra-processed foods and effect on health have led some countries to introduce new labelling

Adolescents in the UK get nearly two-thirds of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, with consumption highest among those from deprived backgrounds, researchers say.

The findings emerged from an analysis of food diaries kept from 2008 to 2019 by nearly 3,000 participants aged 11 to 18 as part of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.